ASHLAND – The No. 22-ranked Southern Oregon men's soccer team got an early leg up on the usual Cascade Conference title contenders by taking down Warner Pacific in a 4-1 decision Sunday afternoon at Raider Stadium.

The Knights, who have finished top-two in the standings each of the last three seasons and were receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, scored an equalizer in the 51st minute before the Raiders ended the match with three unanswered goals. SOU completed the six-point weekend at 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the CCC.

Less than two minutes after Chanin Orlandin leveled the score in the 51st with a pretty one-on-one goal for WPU, the Raiders took the lead back. They went up 2-1 on a set piece when Kaito Nakayama lined up a free kick from the right sideline 35 yards upfield, curling a left-footed pass into the box where Tristan Skerritt leapt and lined a shot midair inside the near post.

Sky Charley-Bolyard made it a two-goal lead in the 63rd minute by claiming a loose ball and sliding into a 15-yard poke that bounced just out of the keeper's reach. In the 69th, Evan Norconk used his left foot on a second attempt to score from up close and put the Raiders up three.

Mustafa Daggig notched the first goal of the day on a penalty kick in the 20th minute. It was the sophomore's team-leading seventh of the season.

After holding Multnomah without a shot on goal in Friday's 2-0 win, SOU's back line did more outstanding work against WPU. The Knights managed only four total shots, three of which were on target. Casey Ruvolo saved two of them.

The Knights were coming off Friday's 2-1 win at Oregon Tech. They dipped to 5-2 and 1-1.

The Raiders are unbeaten in their last 11 CCC home games going back to 2022. The only opponent to get a result in that span was WPU, which left with a draw in 2022.

SOU plays next Friday at Bushnell and Saturday at Corban.